


your heart is my home

by ninwrites



Series: Shadowhunters Coda Scenes [16]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Communication, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Gift Fic, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, House Hunting, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, canon divergence from 3x15, magnus getting hurt? don't know her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 12:16:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18315101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninwrites/pseuds/ninwrites
Summary: magnus and alec go house hunting.





	your heart is my home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iwillstayalive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwillstayalive/gifts).



> title from 'a place we know' by dean lewis 
> 
> \--
> 
> the darling [carla](https://kindaresilient.tumblr.com/) asked for a house hunting fic with fluff and I'm afraid that this contains more of the latter than anything else, however, I still hope that you enjoy it ❤
> 
> \--
> 
> canon divergent from 3x15 (and 3x14 really); somehow lorenzo helped magnus unlock his real magic but still took his apartment. my logic is sound. pls don't question it.

_ “I love you,” _

 

Alec’s hands cup Magnus’ face, trembling slightly from the excitement rocketing through him. He hadn’t thought that asking again would have worked, just took the chance whilst it was there because then nobody could say that he didn’t try. 

 

He hoped, of course, that Magnus would say yes, but he could never have expected it. 

 

“I love you, too.” He whispers, awestruck and sweet. 

 

It’s a novelty he hopes never wears off - the way his heart skips at knowing that he has this, really, truly has a love all his own, the way Magnus’ heart lights up when he hears that Alec loves him too, as though there’s any universe where Alec wouldn’t be madly and deeply enchanted with the man before him. 

 

“Come here,” Magnus murmurs under his breath, pulling Alec forward by his hips, as though he’s the one that’s been touch starved for what feels like weeks, as though Alec is being unfairly reserved. 

 

Alec would lock his office door and quite happily cuddle with Magnus by the fireplace in a heartbeat, if he were permitted. He misses being close with Magnus, just grounding himself in Magnus’ presence, his touch, his warmth. 

 

It was something that not even Asmodeus could take away from him, something that was all his own, not tied to his magic or his title but  _ him.  _ The true Magnus Bane, the soul that Alec fell for. 

 

“If you insist,” Alec whispers against the corner of Magnus’ mouth, his palms warmed against the stretch of Magnus’ smile. 

 

It’s the little moments like this that he lives for. The tease of Magnus’ fingertips over his shirt, dancing over his abdomen, the little intrigued hum he makes when Alec slides his fingers against the nape of Magnus’ neck, bending his head slightly to deepen the kiss, Magnus’ steady heartbeat pounding against his chest. 

 

Intertwined and inescapable and impossibly in love. 

 

* * *

 

“So, how does this work?” Alec brings up, later, once the lights are off and Magnus has tucked his head into the space of Alec’s neck that feels like it was made for this. 

 

“Snuggling? I think you’re a gold star student myself, Alexander, but if you need some tips-“

 

Alec gently pinches Magnus’ side. “You know that’s not what I meant.” 

 

“My apologies,” Magnus purrs, though there’s a sharp smile hidden in the kiss he places against Alec’s clavicle. “How does what work, darling?”

 

Alec waves his free hand above his head, aware of how much amusement Magnus will get out of his floundering, yet not minding it. When Magnus teases him about talking with his hands, there’s too much warmth behind it for Alec to be offended, and too much trust between them for Alec to be uncomfortable. 

 

“Finding a new apartment. If you even want to look for an apartment, I mean I know you loved living in the loft, and I did too, but maybe you want a house, or a mansion like Lorenzo has, though probably less gaudy, or even a farm-“

 

Magnus kisses Alec before he can finish his sentence, pulling back with a blinding grin, his cat eyes alight in the dim room. Alec’s cheeks flush, but he finds himself grinning along too. 

 

“I have far better taste than a  _ gaudy _ mansion like Lorenzo’s.” Magnus points out. “As for the finer details, an apartment, or house or even a farm - that’s something that we can both decide.” 

 

Alec hums. “I don’t think I’d mind living on a farm. We could get chickens and sheep, and a dog to round up the sheep, and even a little goat we could name Jace.”

 

“I’m sure he’d love that.” Magnus points out, imagining the conflict on Jace’s face between the delight of being a namesake and the horror of the recipient being a goat. 

 

“You never know.” 

 

Magnus rests his palm against Alec’s chest, tracing the love rune against his skin - one of few he’d bothered to learn. “We can go looking tomorrow, if you’re free. I’m rather, indisposed at the moment myself. It might give us an idea of what we both like.” 

 

Alec frowns. “So, you just, walk around other people’s homes? Are they there? Do they glare at you to stop you from touching their stuff?” 

 

Magnus hides his grin against Alec’s skin. He’s a little worried that one day, and soon, his cheeks will split from smiling so widely. “Sometimes there is people there, but usually it’s either empty - like, a blank slate - or furnished with the idea that people will be able to see themselves living there. But they don’t usually glare.” 

 

“Huh.” Alec idly traces Magnus’ ribs. “I know there are Shadowhunters who’d buy mundane homes, but in Alicante all of the houses are family owned. I’ve never even thought about looking for somewhere to live before.”

 

“This will be a new first for you then.” Magnus points out, simultaneously charmed by Alec’s outlook and astounded by the distance Shadowhunters put between themselves and others. 

 

Alec drops a kiss to the top of Magnus’ head. “I seem to be accumulating them a lot, these days. Thanks to you.”

 

“It’s my pleasure.” Magnus promises, because for him, that is how it feels. It’s a privilege to see Alec grow into the man that he was always meant to be, to support him in his journey towards true, and uncompromised happiness. 

 

If there is anybody who deserves it the most, it is Alec. 

 

* * *

 

Magnus loves Alec, more than anything in the world, but there is only so much a person can take before they’ve reached their breaking point. 

 

“Alexander,” Magnus grits his teeth. “I love you, believe me, but if you don’t shut that  _ damn  _ alarm off, I will have to break up with you. It’s a matter of life and death.”

 

“It’s half-past ten.” Alec points out, smoothing his hand across Magnus’ back. “Not that I would hold you accountable for your actions whilst you’re so dreadfully sleep-deprived, but it is the time we agreed upon waking...”

 

Magnus shoves his face further into the pillow. It smells like Alec’s cologne, the one he wears on date nights, and it’s the warmest place in the entire Institute - well, second, to Alec’s arms, of course, but he’s dragging himself from the bed and so Magnus is revoking his cuddling privileges in retaliation.

 

“We’ve already missed breakfast.” Alec states. As though he’s sad about it.

 

“Shame,” Magnus mumbles into the pillow. 

 

He can hear Alec bustling around the room, his socked feet brushing against the carpet, the low whistle that sounds like a generic top 40’s hit, though Alec would steadfastly deny it if asked. It’s simple, and easy, and even when everything else in Magnus’ life feels like it is crashing down around him, he’s grateful to have Alec at the center of it, keeping him stable and picking up any pieces that chip off, holding them carefully until Magnus is ready to put himself back together again. 

 

“We could do brunch,” Alec suggests, his voice echoing from the bathroom. “If you get your ass out of bed.”

 

Magnus huffs a laugh into the pillow and rolls onto his back. It is a surprisingly comfortable bed, considering where it’s located, but he supposes that’s a perk of being the Head of an Institute and not just another soldier. They have an odd sense of hierarchy, here.

 

“I happen to have it on good authority that you love my ass,” Magnus points out, glancing at Alec through half-lidded eyes. 

 

Alec leans against the door-frame of the bathroom, sweatpants resting low on his hips, arms folded across his bare chest. “I love all of you.” He shrugs, his eyes trailing low and then back up with a slow smirk. “Including your … assets.”

 

“Alexander Lightwood,” Magnus pulls himself up onto his elbows, the sheets slipping down to pool around his waist. “Did you just make a pun?”

 

Alec grins. “I flirted too. Can you believe it?” He spreads his palm flat against his chest. “I’m growing up so fast.” 

 

Magnus is grateful that the moment is so light, for there’s a depth to Alec’s words that would bring a stronger man to tears; he  _ has _ come so far from when they first met, he’s blossomed and he’s glowing and happier than Magnus could have ever wished for, and he’s done it on his own. 

 

Magnus supported him, cared for him and loved him through it all, but Alec did all of the hard work on his own - it was his own strength and determination to carve out a better life for himself that saved him. 

 

Magnus is just grateful that he’s lucky enough to witness it firsthand. 

 

Alec’s stomach grumbles, and Magnus is brought careening back to the present. “Okay, this growing man needs some food. I have to sign off on some paperwork but after that, I’m all yours.” 

 

Magnus smiles warmly. “Brunch, then. I’d best pretty myself up whilst you’re gone.”

 

Alec crosses the room, leaning down to draw Magnus into a slow kiss. He tastes like peppermint and doesn’t seem to mind that Magnus’ doesn’t. “You’re already the most beautiful person in the world.” He states, pulling back just far enough that Magnus can see the smile in his eyes. 

 

“You’re biased.” Magnus contends, his heart fluttering when Alec smooths his hand over Magnus’ chest.

 

“Perhaps.” Alec drops a kiss onto the tip of Magnus’ nose. “That doesn’t mean that I’m wrong.” 

 

Even if it did, Magnus found it hard to believe that Alec’s mind would change - and what a spectacularly unfamiliar delight that was, to feel the faith a person had in their opinion of you, that nothing would be able to sway them. 

 

Alec is everything to Magnus - and he’d even dare to believe, that to Alec, he is too. 

 

* * *

 

“Magnus Bane, in the flesh. I almost wouldn’t believe it if not for the truth of my own gaze.”

 

Magnus squeezes Alec’s hand, almost sensing his confusion, before letting go to bring the real estate agent into a warm, yet politely distant hug. 

 

“You did such a good job with the last place, I thought I’d see what properties you’re dabbling in these days.” Magnus reaches back for Alec’s hand, encouraging him to step forward. “Eudora, meet Alec Lightwood. Alexander, this is Eudora, the best realtor I’ve had the pleasure of acquainting with. Her style is impeccable.”

 

Eudora glances at Alec, slyly. “He’s quite the charmer, isn’t he? A silver tongue if I’ve ever met one-” Eudora tucks a stray indigo lock behind her ear, revealing the sharp point. “As a Seelie, I’ve run into a few.”

 

“He’s spellbinding,” Alec agrees, leaning into Magnus’ shoulder. He hadn’t expected a Seelie realtor, but then, it’s not exactly a stretch either. “I think it’s the genuineness, he really makes you believe what he’s saying.”

 

“I can’t tell if you’re both agreeing that I’m a liar,” Magnus intervenes. “Or bonding over my honesty.”

 

Eudora winks at Alec, and for a second, he sees a glimmer pass across her skin, a hint at turquoise scales beneath a mundane glamour. It’s a sign of trust, he knows, and he’s grateful for it - Eudora is clearly important to Magnus, even if it’s more on a professional level than a personal one, and her trust means a lot. 

 

Eudora claps her hands together, shimmering blue nails clicking lightly. “Right. The two of you came to view houses - first up is a darling Victorian townhouse, with original features and a modern twist that perfectly blends multiple eras together…”

 

Alec trails off, still listening but finding difficulty in making sense of any of the words that Eudora is saying. Fortunately, Magnus seems perfectly enrapt with the conversation, volleying questions back at Eudora that, from the outside, seem to be the right ones. Magnus keeps his hand intertwined with Alec’s whilst Eudora leads them through the house, and Alec is content to trail behind. 

 

It really is a beautiful house. 

 

The outside is an elegant white, as are the walls inside, but Alec can see where Magnus would put his own flair on the place; the hallway where he’d display a delicately woven rug, the living room that would have sprawling loveseats and couches, a glass coffee table to rest fresh flowers upon, a fireplace mantel to display mementos from their trips, and framed photos. He’d put the grand four poster bed in the main bedroom upstairs, and use the opposite room as a bedroom for Madzie whenever she’d visit, the remaining bedroom down the hall for guests who decide to pop by. His office, connecting to the kitchen would be filled with various books, science and literature and modern romance that he’d refuse to admit to anyone else he loves, a sprawling desk to work on spells and potions and writing his next magical tome. 

 

Alec could hang his keys from a little hook near the front door, his boots under the entryway table. He could have a little garden out the back, see if his green thumb is truly as black as his mother’s; they could adopt a cat, and make doors for easy access so it could come and go as it pleases. He could have a reading chair by the fireplace, to curl up in when it’s cold and Magnus is busy puttering away in his office. They could cook together in the marble-topped kitchen, Alec on one side of the breakfast bench with a silly apron, Magnus on the other with the food that they intend to eat while he instructs Alec to stir this, or taste that, or just look his handsome self because that’s help enough. 

 

They could host barbecues in the summer and dinner parties in the fall, share tall tales of their day over takeout as they sink into the couch, take days off to watch movies in their own home theatre in the den and wake up each morning knowing that this was a place that they shared together. 

 

Magnus and Eudora are too distracted talking about mouldings or skirtings or something else that Alec has no concept of, and he’s struck with gratitude for the lack of attention on him. He slips his hand from Magnus’ and offers a tight smile in response to Magnus’ questioning gaze, darting through the kitchen to the back patio. 

 

The feeling of fresh air whistling against his face is a cool reprieve from the heat that had been pricking his skin inside. He knew that this wasn’t a casual date, it was an important trip and at the end of it, there’d be an important decision to make, but nowhere in his train of thought had it truly sunk in what they were discussing here. 

 

Yes, he’d asked Magnus - essentially - to let him move  _ with  _ Magnus, and he doesn’t regret it. He loves waking up next to Magnus, and hates going to bed without him, considers it a specific and terrible form of heartache when Magnus is gone because missing him hurts, even if he returns only an hour later. He knows, has known for longer than he’s even realised, that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Magnus - but the weight of it feels heavier now than it ever had before. 

 

This is the first real step they’ve ever taken together; before, it was all abstract conversation and wishful thinking, but this is tangible and real and entirely possible and Alec hadn’t prepared for the shift, hadn’t even expected it. 

 

It’s a small grace that he’s having this, admittedly minor, freak-out before any big decisions have been cemented. It’s nice to know that he can learn from his past and not repeat the same mistakes.

 

His next wedding won’t be a mistake. He’s going to make sure that he’s doing it for love, and for himself, and Magnus, and not anybody else. 

 

“Alexander?” 

 

The French glass doors don’t make a sound when they slide open, giving Magnus the chance to hover behind Alec, close enough to touch if he so desires, before Alec notices that he’s there. 

 

“It’s a beautiful view, huh?” Alec’s voice cracks on the final word. He fiddles with the collar of his jacket, his wrist resting against the erratic pulse of his chest. 

 

Magnus knocks his shoulder against Alec’s. “Yes. Yes it is.”

 

Alec shakes his head, glancing over at Magnus. He’s beaming, smirking in that subtle way that means he knows exactly what Alec is thinking, and is far from ashamed about it. 

 

“I was genuinely talking about the view,” Alec gestures towards the backyard half-heartedly. 

 

Magnus shrugs. “I prefer mine.”

 

Alec sighs, but there’s hardly any exasperation to it. He’s far more charmed than he’d like to admit, and even just this blip of conversation has chipped away at a little of his nerves. Magnus has this uncanny ease at grounding Alec, and making him feel comfortable no matter the situation around them, like an anchor at sea. 

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” 

 

“Free of charge, for you.” Alec scours the back of his hand across the cut of his jaw. “I have to warn you, though, it’s kind of stupid.”

 

Magnus rests his hand against the small of Alec’s back. “I find that hard to believe.”

 

Alec lets his head drop against Magnus’ shoulder, wrapping his arm around Magnus’ waist. Magnus kisses Alec’s temple, squeezing him close, hand curved against Alec’s hip. Alec feels bad for wasting their time - for wasting Eudora’s time, too - but he can’t seem to get his brain onto a different train of thought. It’s determined to ride this one out until it crashes and burns. 

 

“It could just be me,” Alec acknowledges. “I’m not exactly well-versed in relationships, and I’ve certainly never considered any kind of future as much as I have this, but it all just feels very … I don’t think that I really thought about how big of a deal this is, before, and now it’s suddenly very real.”

  
“We don’t have to go through with this if you’re not ready.” Magnus soothes circles against Alec’s skin, his fingers hooked beneath Alec’s shirt. “Today is just, house hunting for fun. Getting you out of those shadows you’re so fond of chasing.” 

 

Alec angles his head so that he can look up at Magnus without moving from what is quite a comfortable position. “That’s the thing. I am ready, and I know I’m ready, I just didn’t think past that? It’s easy for me to say that the only future I want is the one with you in it, but acting on that is completely different. I don’t know how to tell what the right house is. I don’t even know how to live on my own! I’ve always lived in the Institute, where there are like, hundreds of other Shadowhunters at a time. I’ve been coddled and now when it comes to making important life decisions, I’m lost.” 

 

Magnus cups the side of Alec’s cheek. “You’re not alone in this, Alexander. I’ve never moved in with somebody before - but then, I’ve also never loved anybody as much as I love you. Both of those are utterly terrifying to me because they’re so new, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t the right thing for me. We don’t have to choose a new house today - we don’t even have to choose this one. There’s no pressing time schedule that we have to adhere by, we just take it at our own pace.”

 

“We live in a world that could end at any moment,” Alec points out, somewhat petulantly, because he knows that Magnus is right, and that it is a fact Magnus is well aware of. 

 

“So why are we wasting time staring at a pristine backyard that costs more than the Institute’s annual food budget alone, when we could head down to Coney Island and eat ice-cream before dinner like the crazy kids we are on the inside?”

 

Alec pouts. It can be difficult dating a warlock - not because of the stark differences in their people, but because he’s a smart-ass who disguises his omnipotence within sugar-coated promises that he knows Alec can’t turn down, without actually coming out and just saying ‘I told you so’. 

 

“I do like ice-cream.” Alec admits.

 

“I know.” Magnus kisses Alec’s temple. “Come on, let’s thank Eudora for her help before she makes me promise her more werewolf fur than I actually have.” 

 

“Werewolf fur?”

 

Magnus guides Alec back towards the house. “I don’t ask questions, Alexander, I just retrieve the ingredients. Werewolves shed more than dogs, it’s not difficult to acquire, I just don’t feel comfortable keeping stock in the Institute - no offence.”

 

Alec shakes his head. “None taken.” 

 

“We’ll be okay, Alexander. We’ll figure it out, together. That’s kind of what sharing a future with somebody means.” Magnus frowns. “Apparently.”

 

It’s a peculiar sense of calm that washes over Alec. As big and impossible as this feels to him, is only matched by Magnus; they’re both in this rickety little lifeboat together, holding onto keep themselves afloat, but if worse comes to worst, they’ll capsize together. 

 

If it doesn’t? They’ll find a house that they both love, where they can take the next steps - together. Alec has no doubt that he and Magnus have a bright future ahead of them. He just needs to be patient, and let it come to them. 

 

“You really have that much faith in our future?” Magnus asks as they pass the threshold. “You just, know, that we’ll have a good one?”

 

Alec cups Magnus’ face and pulls him in, kissing him through a blinding grin. “I have faith in us. That’s all I’ve ever needed.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> you can find more of my ramblings on [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/umbrellaklauss) & [tumblr](https://ninwrites.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (and while you're there check out the [shfanficnexus](https://shfanficnexus.tumblr.com/), a collection of work by wonderfully talented and lovely writers <3 )  
> thank you for reading!


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